First Team
All The Info | Kilmarnock (A)
27th September 2024
DUNDEE UNITED 9 ST ANDREWS 2
A Rory MacLeod hat-trck and Stuart Heenan double helped Dundee United U18s claim a comfortable SFA Youth Cup win over St Andrews United.
MacLeod, who became the youngest-ever player to star for United first team at the age of 16 and 6 days last year, ran the show for Young Terrors.
The striker almost put his side ahead after just 11 minutes as he cut in from the flank to fire a low effort off the base of the post.
He then screwed another strike wide before setting up Adam Carnwath to fire nod just off target from close range.
United lose early goal
But United fell behind against the run of play.
The goal itself was a spectacular effort with Xander Barclay collecting the ball 25 yards from goal before unleahing an unstoppable effort into the top corner.
United wasted no time in responding as Sean Borland and Bryan Mwangi comined to set MacLeod up for his first from six yards.
Heenan then had two opportunities to put the hosts ahead.
Firstly, he shot just over from 20 yards then he go on the end of an Alan Domeracki cross only to see his effort blocked by St Andrews keeper Jamie Smith.
Heenan and Mwangi were both denied by Smith as United sensed the chance to take control of the tie.
However, they fell behind a second time on 35 minutes with Lewis Raeside converting a close-range strike.
Again, though, United responded quickly with Heenan getting on the end of a perfectly-weighted MacLeord cross to head in.
MacLeod produces magical strike
Then, just as the sides appeared to be heading into the break all-square, United took the lead.
Keeper Smith fumbled the ball into MacLeod's path but very few players have the technique to produce what came next.
With his back to goal, MacLeod pulled off a perfectly-executed bicycle kick to lob the ball over Smith's head and into an empty net.
That goal settled Young Terrors at the break and they were in cruise control in the second period.
Some superb passing moves and wing play tired their visitors out and it was only a matter of time before United added goals.
Young Terrors cruise to victory
Heenan got his second of the night as he flicked over the advancing Smith from ten yards.
And MacLeod completed his treble, rippling the net from 20 yards.
The No 9 then struck the woodword a second time on 76 minutes before the late, great show from Ryan Moon's side made the win more convincing,
Craig Moore got his side's sixth from six yards and Connor May combined with MacLeod to set-up Borland to make it 7-2.
Domeracki's terrific wing play set up Mwangi for an easy finish before Zeke Cameron's cross was met by May to complete the rout.
Teamlines:
Dundee United: Haldane, Borland, Lowe, Cleall-Harding, Donald, Mwangi, Carnwath, Moore, MacLeod, Domeracki, Heenan. Subs: May, McGuire, Bertie, Emslie, Cameron, Constable, Simpson.
St Andrews: Smith; MacDonald, Brady, Russell, Lumsden, Barclay, Munro, Farningham, Fraser, Raeside, Hutchison. Subs: McLannaghan, Caulfield, Fasoranti, Ogston, Cooper, Tosh, Easton.
